The Tales Of A Trainer
by Kofukuna Shi no Kami
Summary: After a late arrival at the Oak Laboratory, Ash Ketchum, the future Dragon Master, ran into a certain visiting Professor. After a rather strange encounter, he is soon on the road with his brand new starter Pokémon, more determined to become the greatest Dragon Master than ever before. And so began the journey of Ash Ketchum. Ash/TBA Smarter, More Practical Ash.
1. A Surprising Encounter!

**The Tales of A Trainer**

 **Disclaimer : I do not own Pokémon**

"Ash Ketchum! I thought I told you to go to sleep. How do you expect to be able to get to Professor Oak's lab early if you don't go to bed. It's nearly eleven for crying out loud. I don't care if you're twelve years old, I want you asleep within fifteen minutes."

Delia Ketchum stood there in all her feminine rage, her auburn hair tied in a messy bun, matching well with her porcelain complexion, with her brown eyes showing her great annoyance. She wore a lavender skirt that fell to her shins, and a buttoned pink blouse.

"And turn off the television, or at least watch something informative."

With that the angry mother switched the channel from the Pokémon battle that Ash had been watching to a documentary that was being shown.

The raven haired preteen had to agree with his mother. If he wanted to get his desired starter, he'd have to go to sleep soon. He turned off the documentary where Professor Oak was introducing the Kanto starters to all the new trainers, having seen it dozens of times already. He had known which one he wanted since he was a little kid. The Fire Type, Charmander.

Ash lied down on his bed, throwing his head onto the pillow. He stared at the poster on the ceiling, a giant one which covered most of the ceiling and had pictures of every single discovered Dragon Type.

Dragon Type Pokémon were the brown eyed boy's favorite Pokémon. Ash remembered all the times his mother told her stories of his father, one of the strongest Dragon Masters' to have lived. The man had been unbeatable with his front liner, an unusually powerful Haxorus.

That was also why he wanted a Charmander. It was the only Kanto starter that had any possible relation to Dragon Types. That, and the fact that the Fire Starter was pretty awesome.

"I can't wait till tomorrow. I'm finally gonna get my first Pokémon."

And with those words, Ash Ketchum began to drift off.

"I'm so late!"

Ash screamed as he jumped out of bed, to find a broken alarm clock lying on the floor of his bedroom. He checked his wrist watch, and nearly screamed again. It was nearly nine!

He rushed to put on a pair of joggers, and then ran out of his room, nearly bumping into his mom on the way.

"Sweetie are you okay? I thought I heard you scream."

"Sorry mom, cant talk, need to get Pokémon."

And with that, Ash Ketchum ran out of the single storey ranch house he and his mom lived in. The house was surrounded by a beautiful garden where various kinds of vegetables were growing. Ash leapt over the fence and began to run down the road towards the lab. It was after five minutes of running that the black haired preteen realized that he was still in his pyjamas. He just kept running, hoping he'd be able to get to the lab soon enough to get a starter, any starter.

He got to the lab and saw a large crowd outside. They were all cheering for Gary Oak, one of his oldest friends.

Gary had spiky brown hair and black eyes. He wore a pair of blue pants and a purple shirt, with a patent smirk on his face. In his hand he held a Pokeball, a spherical contraption with a red upper hemisphere and a white lower half. It had a small button on the centre, and was about the size of Ash's fist.

Gary had always bee determined to prove that he was the best, as shown by the shouts of the crowd.

"Gary, Gary, he's our man! If he can't do it no one can!"

Usually Ash would've approached his friend, but he knew getting a new Pokémon was more important. Unfortunately, Gary spotted him just as he was passing by.

"Well, well, well, look who decided to show up. Hey Ashy boy, you're late. I was able to get the best starter. And that's just one perk of being the grandson of Kanto's greatest Pokémon Professor."

With those words, the brown haired boy began to twirl the Pokeball atop his finger, a smug grin on his face.

Usually Ash would react to Gary's words aggressively, but today he had something more important to do. So he just continued to run up the path to the lab entrance. He knocked open the door and rushed inside, only to collide into another figure.

The raven haired boy picked himself up before rushing to assist the man he had knocked over. The man had short cropped white hair, and a moustache that connected to a short beard. He wore a scientist's coat over a grey business suit.

"I'm so sorry, sir. I was just in a hurry, and wasn't watching where I was going, and I didn't see you. I'm really sorry."

As Ash helped the older man up, the scientist looked at him with a stern gaze, before picking up his briefcase, without saying a word. It began to unnerve the young boy, before he was saved by the resident Professor. He finally got a look around, and wasn't surprised that it was a huge mess of heavy machinery, computer monitors, and lots of wires.

"Gregory, Ash, is everything all right?"

Professor Oak was a man that looked to be in his late fifties. He had grey hair, and his were much messier than the other man's. He had no visible facial hair, and had brown eyes. He wore a pair of brown pants and a white shirt, with a lab coat over it.

"There is nothing to worry about, Samuel. This young man just happened to be in a hurry, and wasn't watching where he was going. The young these days, no patience whatsoever. So tell me boy, why is it that you were in such a hurry?"

Ash began to nervously shift from foot to foot as both men stared at him, waiting for an answer. After a few moments of hesitation, he decided to come clean.

"Well, you see, I overslept, and I was worried I wouldn't get a Pokémon."

The boy noticed that Professor Oak's expression grew sad, and feared the worse. He was pulled out of his reverie by the other man's chuckle.

"Yes, I must admit that would be a cause of great distress. But if you wish to be a successful Pokémon trainer, you must be patient at times. Now, I haven't introduced myself yet. I am Professor Gregory Rowan, and I hail from the Sinnoh region, where I study Pokémon evolution. And who would you be?"

"My name's Ash Ketchum, and I want to travel across the world and become the greatest Dragon Master to ever live."

Professor Rowan studied the boy for a few seconds, before nodding.

"There are few trainers from Kanto who wish to tame the mystical Dragons, and even fewer that actually manage to succeed. But that is no concern of mine. Samuel, I believe you need to give this boy something."

Professor Oak seemed to slump as the other two looked towards him.

"Actually, Ash, as much as it pains me to say this, Gary just took the last starter I had."

The boy's eyes widened as the cold realization struck him. It seemed he really had messed up, and now he'd have to wait for at least a year to get one. He felt a warn stinging sensation as tears welled up in his eyes.

"Oh. So, I guess I'll see you next year Professor. It was nice to meet you Professor Rowan."

But before Ash could even turn to leave, Professor Rowan spoke up in his gruff voice.

"Wait right there young man."

The preteen looked up at the old man, and wondered what he desired.

"As it happens, I have a Pokémon with myself right now. It is one I caught back in Sinnoh, for the purpose of research, but I can easily find another. You, on the other hand, need a Pokémon immediately. I only see one way to go around this."

The raven haired boy's tears began to dry and he smiled at the Professor of Sinnoh as he pulled out a Pokeball.

"Ash Ketchum, do you promise to take this Pokémon, train it, cherish it, and allow it to assist you in fulfilling your dream of becoming the greatest Dragon Master?"

"Y-yes, Professor, I do. Thank you so much!"

Rowan allowed a rare smile to happen upon his appearance, as he held the Pokeball towards Ash.

"Then here, I give you your starter. I am sure you will love it."

The boy gingerly grasped the red and white ball, and stared at it for a few moments, before pressing the small button on it. With a beam of light, a Pokémon was released from it. The creature appeared on the ground near Ash's feet, and left both Oak and Ash shocked.

It was a small Pokémon, and its entire body seemed to be made of its stomach. It had a large jaw with sharp fangs, short, chubby arms and legs, and a large fin on its back. It had two horns on the side of its head, which had a light blue stripe across it, and a tail. Other than its red underbelly and the light blue stripe that ran across its back, and the ones across its horns, it was dark blue in color.

"Gi-Gible!"

"Oh my god, it's a Gible!"

The raven haired trainer sprang forward and lifted up the baby Pokémon, hugging it to his chest.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you so much! This is even better than Charmander!"

Professor Oak couldn't help but smile as well. The boy was like a grandson to him, and he would have given him another Pokémon in case Rowan hadn't been present. But he knew that it wouldn't have been the same as a Charmander due to the young boy's craze for Dragon Types.

But the look on Professor Rowan's face was one of growing fear and distress.

"No Ash, don't hold it too tightly. It bites."

But it was too late, as the blue bipedal Pokémon bit down on its Trainer's forearm. Aforementioned Trainer immediately released it and began to shriek in pain, as the Gible began to laugh at its Trainer's misfortune.

"Well, now that you have gotten yourself a starter, you'll be needing these."

Ash held out his healthy arm and took the Pokedex and the five shrunken Pokeballs from Professor Oak's hand. He put the balls into his trousers' pocket, but chose to use the Pokedex on his new Pokémon.

 **Gible**

 **Land Shark Pokémon**

 **It nests in small, horizontal holes in cave walls. It pounces to catch prey that stray too close.**

 **Level 8**

 **Male**

 **Dragon, Ground**

 **Tackle, Dragon Rage, Iron Head**

Ash had to admit, he already had a decent head start on the other new trainers. And it was surprising that Gible already knew Iron Head.

'Must be an egg move.'

The raven haired Trainer kneeled down and came face to face with the small Dragon Type. He warily placed his hand on its fin, before scratching it lightly when the Pokémon did not bite him.

"So, what do you say Gible? Do you want to come with me to travel around the world, make new friends, and become known as the greatest Dragon Type on the planet."

Gible kept on looking at Ash, and it actually caused the trainer to wonder if the Pokémon understood him, when he got his answer.

"Gib-Gi Gible!"

The tiny Dragon pushed his fin into Ash's palm, and began to wag his tail. The raven haired teen understood this to be a positive response, so he got to his feet and spoke.

"Well, then we have no time to lose! Thanks again Professor Oak, Professor Rowan. I promise you won't regret this"

The resident Professor just smiled, whereas the other spoke on his gruff voice.

"Hmph! I hope not."

"Well, I gotta go home to change and get my supplies. Come on Gible, I want you to meet my Mom! Bye Professors!"

The new trainer began to walk out of the large lab, with his new Pokémon at his heels.

"Well, Samuel, we may have very well found a gem today. I sense great potential within that boy. Great potential."

"I cannot help but agree Gregory. Ash will become a great Trainer. He reminds me of us when we were young."

The raven haired boy himself was currently jumping down the stairs, with his new starter right behind him.

"Just you wait Gible. We'll become the most famous Dragon Types of Kanto, and then the entire world."

Before his Pokémon could reply, they arrived at the base of the stairs, where they were shocked to see a huge crowd that was yelling one name.

"Ash! Ash! Ash!"

The people were cheering him on, with many of them banging large metal pots against each other. There was also a gigantic poster that read, "Go Ash" held up.

Delia Ketchum came forward and pulled her son into a tight hug.

"Oh, my little boy's leaving for his journey! He'll be all alone, in a big world, filled with bad guys. But I don't have to worry, because he'll have his Pokémon with him."

Ash began to squirm in his mother's grip.

"Please Mom, I'm twelve. I have to leave sooner or later. But don't worry, I'll come back to see you, and I'll become the greatest Dragon Master of all time."

Delia finally released him, and used the sleeves of her blouse to wipe away her tears.

"I guess you're right. But promise me you won't push yourself or your Pokémon too hard. And you have to change your underwear everyday."

Ash blushed as his mother said that last part, but he forced it away quickly before looking towards his mom.

"Speaking of Pokémon, I still haven't shown you my starter. Come on Gible, meet my Mom."

The boy stepped aside to reveal his starter standing behind him.

"Oh! What a cutie!"

Delia lunged forward and scooped up the Land Shark Pokémon, before hugging it to her chest. Ash tried to warn her, but was surprised when he saw his Gible just snuggle into her hold.

"I can't believe you were actually able to get such a rare Pokémon for your starter, a Dragon Type to boot. But aren't the usual choices for the starter Pokémon Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle? How come you got a Gible?"

Ash nervously rubbed the scruff of his neck, before replying.

"Truth be told, I'm glad I got a Pokémon at all. I had been too late to receive any of the regular starters, but when I got to Professor Oak's lab, I ran into Professor Rowan, a man from the Sinnoh region who had apparently been visiting Professor Oak. When he found out that Professor Oak had no Pokémon left, he gave me Gible. If it wasn't for him I wouldn't be a Trainer right now."

"That was very nice of him. Anyways, I think we should head home, and you should get your stuff before leaving."

"That sounds fine to me. Let's go."

With that, Ash, Gible and Delia headed for the Ketchum residence. The crowd had begun to disperse, but it was still considerably large. That was due to the fact that most of Pallet Town were either pro-Gary, or pro-Ash, with Gary being in the lead, but barely.

The raven haired boy let a smile come across his face. There were so many people that trusted him, that believed in him. His mom, the Professors, a chunk of Pallet Town, and now, his Gible. He only hoped that he'd live up to their expectations.

 **Author's Note :**

 **Hello guys and gals! This story just kinda popped into my head, and I wrote it down. But do not fret, this is a real story, and I plan to insure it goes far. It shall not be abandoned, although updates might be infrequent at times.**

 **This story is going to have an Ash that has more common sense than the original, and has a Type Preference. But he will use other Types as well. His dream is to become a Dragon Master, one in league with, say, Lance, or Drake from the Elite Four.**

 **It will be a long ride, through multiple regions, and he'll age as well. The pairings will remain TBA, for a while at least.**

 **Bear in mind that this story will not take precedence over my other one, The Grimm Change, or vice versa, although there won't be a fixed schedule for updates. But since mids are coming up, I believe I'll be a bit too busy for regular updates.**

 **I'd appreciate it if you favorite, follow, and leave a review or shoot me a PM if you have any questions.**

 **Well, that's a wrap. See you people next time.**

Peace Out

Kofukuna Shi no Kami


	2. Route 1: Surfing Over Trouble

**The Tales of A Trainer**

 **Disclaimer : I do not own Pokémon**

It was a hot day, the sun glaring down on all the travellers that were making their way through Route 1. A certain trainer was having a particularly bad time.

"I don't understand how you are able to stand this heat?"

Ash questioned his Gible. The raven haired Trainer wore a black t-shirt, and a pair of dark blue jeans, along with a black baseball cap. It was part of the outfit his mother had made for him for his journey, along with a long dark blue hooded cloak. The aforementioned was currently inside of his black and orange knapsack, not being needed in this heat.

"Gi-Gible Gib."

Although the question was rhetorical in nature, his Pokedex chose to give him a reply.

"Most Dragon Types have evolved to tolerate extremely high temperatures, which is why they are resistant to Fire Type moves. Unfortunately, they have very low tolerance to lower temperatures, and are weak against Ice Types."

Letting out a sigh of annoyance, Ash wiped some sweat off of his brow with the back of his hand, before looking down at his starter.

"Are you sure you don't want to travel in your Pokeball? I thought that was what all Pokémon did."

The new Trainer's response was a shake of the head, as both continued walking. That was until a brown blur flew past them, and snatched Ash's hat off of his head. The duo turned towards the blur, and saw it land on a high branch on one of the trees.

"Arggh, give me back my hat!"

The raven haired boy reached into his pocket and pulled out the red Pokedex. He pointed towards the bird, and it soon showed all the basic information regarding the creature.

 **Spearow**

 **Tiny Bird Pokémon**

 **Spearow are one of the most common Pokémon found in Kanto. They are extremely violent and challenges even for veteran trainers.**

 **Level 3**

 **Male**

 **Normal, Flying**

Subconsciously noting that the Pokedex did not display the Spearow's attacks, Ash decided that this would be great practice for his new Pokémon.

"Okay Gible, seems like this is gonna be our first Pokémon battle as a team. Why don't we start off with an Iron Head attack aimed at the tree trunk. That'll knock it right down to the ground."

"Gi!"

The blue bipedal Pokémon ran at the tree, and a metallic sheen covered its head as it got close. However, it was thrown back when he hit the tree, having done almost no damage to it."

Ash gritted his teeth. It seemed that they'd have to work on Gible's moves.

"It looks like we'll just have to do this the hard way. Gible, hit the Spearow with a Dragon Rage."

Gible grunted as it got up, before inhaling a large quantity of air. A neon blue light shone out of his mouth, followed by a wave of green and blue flames. The wild Spearow was fairly surprised by the attack, and wasn't able to get out of the way soon enough. It ended up taking the shot, and fell down, swirls appearing in his eyes.

The victorious trainer rushed forth and retook his cap, before kneeling down on his knees and patting his Pokémon on the head.

"Yes Gible! We won our first battle. This is just the first step to what will be a great friendship."

"Gi-Gible Gib."

The Land Shark Pokémon's eloquent reply was followed by it trying to bite down on his trainer's hand, but Ash had learned his lesson and got away without a scathe.

"Well, I say we continue on our way if we want to get to Viridian City today. We better get going."

The two got up and were about to move on, when they saw the small brown Pokémon had regained consciousness.

"Spee-Spear-Row!"

Its screeches seemed to echo across the area, before Ash saw a large brown cloud heading in their direction. Upon taking a closer look, he realized that it was no cloud, but a flock of Spearow. There were easily ten, and they all seemed to be in a fit of rage.

That's when a look of realisation washed over the raven haired boy's face. The Spearow had called for help.

The boy knew that his Pokémon had an advantage, but he was worried. They were massively outnumbered, and there might be a stronger Spearow in the group.

He looked towards his Gible, and was surprised. The expression on his Gible's face was not one of fear or distress. It was a look of anticipation and excitement. It was the look one expected to see on the face of a Dragon Type and its Trainer.

Ash relaxed slightly. If his Pokémon was ready to face the opponent, then so was he.

"Alright Gible, let's show these guys what we Dragons can do. Use Dragon Rage and spread it out to damage as many of them as you can."

"Gible Gi Gi!"

The tiny Dragon Type charged up the attack, and just as the Spearow got within range, he let loose a volley of the glowing green and blue flames. A few of the Spearow that had been flying upfront got hit, although only one fell to the ground in a unconscious state. The rest swooped down towards the attacker, as their short beaks began to glow.

Ash saw that his Gible would be dealt some serious damage if he did nothing, so he yelled out his next commands.

"Quick, use Iron Head to fend off the Peck attacks, and when they fly past you get them with another Dragon Rage!"

His starter heeded his words, and faced down while his head grew metallic once more. The Peck attacks simply bounced off of his skull, while he had already begun charging up his Dragon Rage.

Mere seconds after the last Spearow had flown by, Gible turned around and released an inferno at the Spearow. This one was by far the strongest one that Ash had seen his Pokémon use, and it was powerful enough to knock out six of the Spearow and injure all the others.

The rookie trainer cheered on his Pokémon, happy to see it holding its own against such a large flock of the ferocious birds.

"That's it Gible. Just a few more. Let's show them how Dragon Types fight. Use another Dragon Rage on them while they're distracted."

Once again, Gible inhaled all the air he could, before releasing it in a vortex as large as the last one, if not larger. This time, all of the remaining Spearow were hit head on, and all the damage they had sustained up to that point became too much.

The victors grinned triumphantly as their foes fell to the ground, the swirls over their eyes showing that they had been beaten. The trainer threw forward eleven Pokeballs, all of which successfully caught the wild Pokémon. He had no intention of leaving them here in this state, especially since the grey clouds above seemed to be moving closer. He would just release them when he got to the next City.

The raven haired boy ran forwards to his starter, and picked him up, showering him with praise.

"That was an excellent job, Gible. At this rate, we'll be the strongest in the world in no time."

"Gi...Gible..."

The exhausted bipedal Dragon collapsed in his Trainer's arms, not even having enough strength to bite him. Ash smiled with pride. He had always known that his starter was a special one. But even he would be lying if he said he hadn't underestimated its strength.

He took out his Pokeball and tapped it against the sleeping Dragon's forehead, watching as it sucked in the Pokémon with a flash of red light.

"Now, I need to get you to a Pokémon centre. The closest one should be in Viridian City, so I should get going."

The boy latched the Pokeball onto his belt, along with his other empty ones, and began walking towards his destination at a brisk pace.

But as he turned around, he saw a large bird that was flying through the sky. It had a long golden beak, and orange feathers. Its tail feathers were tipped with a plethora of colors, and it seemed to leave a rainbow in its wake.

It was an hour later that the novice Trainer was getting closer to his objective, when it began to rain cats and dogs. Ash took out his cloak and pulled it over himself and his backpack, hoping to keep most of his clothes dry. The boy began to move at a faster pace, knowing that it wouldn't do to be out in the rain at night time.

As he continued down his path, he came across a small orange tent that was set up near the small river that flowed parallel to the road. The raven haired boy was surprised to see a young redhead that couldn't be more than fifteen sitting outside of the tent, desperately clutching on to a fishing rod as she visibly shivered. Her burnt orange hair was pulled back in a single ponytail, and she wore only a yellow sleeve less shirt that exposed her navel and a pair of blue short shorts that were held up by red suspenders. Her hair and clothes were thoroughly soaked.

"Hey, what're you doing out in this rain? You want to get sick!"

Ash walked over to her, as she turned to face him, her teeth chattering as she spoke.

"I s-saw a G-Gyarados here. I h-have t-to catch it!"

"The only thing you'll be catching here is a cold. We should get you to Viridian City."

The rookie trainer took the cloak off of his shoulders and draped it over the girl.

"Come on, let's pack your stuff."

As quickly as they could, they packed the tent, the sleeping bag and her fishing rod into her large backpack. But just as they were about to get back on the road, the redhead stopped.

"Wait, we don't have my bicycle!"

Ash looked around and spotted a red bicycle leaning against a tree. He dropped the bags in the basket on the front. The raven haired trainer mounted it, and Misty sat on the backseat.

The Dragon Master-in-training began to pedal as fast as he could, gradually gaining speed. It wasn't long before the duo were racing through the woodlands, getting closer and closer to their destination. The sun had set long ago, and one could see flashes of lightning crackling across the sky.

At last, Ash could see city lights in the distance. The boy increased his efforts, his muscles burning from the exertion.

"Just a little more."

He rode the bicycle into the city, with the still wet but considerably warmer redhead gripping onto his shoulders. The raven haired trainer immediately made his way to the Pokémon Centre, only slowing down for the automatic doors. He stopped in front of the reception, resulting in a shocked nurse who rushed over with a pink Pokémon hard on her heels.

"Are you alright young man?"

It took Ash a few moments to catch his breath, as he looked up to see a pink haired attendant, wearing a white nurse's uniform. Her hair has done in two large rings that fell at the sides of her head. She had a look of concern on her face, as a pink Pokémon that was wearing a nurse's apron came forth behind her.

"Yes, Miss, I'm quite fine. But I'd like you to take a look at my friend here, and my Pokémon."

The nurse nodded, before turning to the pink Pokémon.

"Chansey, I need you to conduct a regular test on the girl, and take her to a room if needed. I'll handle the young man's Pokémon."

The Pokémon named Chansey helped the redhead off of the bicycle before taking her into a nearby room. Ash removed the six Pokeballs from his belt, and brought the rest out of his bag, before handing them over to the nurse.

"I'll get them checked right away. I'm Nurse Joy by the way."

The raven haired boy rubbed the back of his head in an embarrassed way, as he got off of the bicycle and spoke.

"I'm Ash, Ash Ketchum. Nice to meet you Nurse Joy. Oh, and would it be possible to rent a room."

"It certainly is. Here you go, Room 23 is on the second floor."

The pink haired woman fished a key out of her apron's pocket, before handing it over to the trainer.

"Oh, and Ash, people usually park their bicycles and other vehicles outside."

Ash had the decency to blush as the Nurse walked off with his Pokémon. He pocketed the key before taking the bike outside and parking it. After that he decided to go up to his room and get a shower.

It was nearly half an hour later that the raven haired boy came down to the lobby. He went to the reception and received his Pokémon, which he was happy to see were completely fine except for the extreme exhaustion.

The trainer also inquired about the redhead, and was pleased to know that she was fine but was currently asleep.

Ash thanked the Nurse, before asking if there was any nearby store where he could get supplies for his journey. Luckily, there was a store inside of the PokeCentre that had everything Ash might need.

The boy bought a bag of Dragon Munch and a bag of the regular one. He also decided to purchase some Pokeballs and Potions.

Ash decided that he might as well grab a bite to eat, so he went to a nearby eatery and got a bowl of ramen. He let Gible out of its Pokeball and gave it some of the Dragon Munch mixed with some cut up Oran berries he picked on Route 1.

After a satisfying dinner, the trainer and his Gible returned to the PokeCentre and sat down in front of one of the monitors. He decided to check in on his mother and Professor Oak.

After dialling his home number, he watched as the phone rang, before it was picked up by his mother.

"Ash! Gible! Are you two boys calling from Viridian City?"

Ash smiled as his starter just began to shout its name in joy.

"Yeah mom, I got here a while ago. I ran into some wild Pokémon on the way, but other than that I had no problem getting here. Gible defeated any opponents we faced. This little guy sure packs a punch."

Gible seemed to grin smugly at the praise, as it puffed out its chest when its trainer began to pet his fin.

"Well aren't you lucky to have gotten such a great starter? And already in Viridian City? Your father would have been so proud."

The raven haired boy smiled, before stating that he had to call Professor Oak as well.

"Alright sweetie, but just because you're a trainer doesn't mean your bedtime isn't ten anymore. And don't forget to change your underwear!"

The screen went black again as Ash began to dial in the number for the Oak Lab. But he noticed some faces on the screen, so he turned around and saw a large picture that showed four powerful looking Pokémon. One of which greatly resembled the large bird he had seen on Route 1. He filed it away in his mind for later as he entered the rest of the number.

The call soon connected, and it showed Professor Oak, standing in his empty laboratory.

"Well, if it isn't Ash. Have you successfully arrived in Viridian City? I knew Gary was wrong when he said that it'd take you a week. So tell me, how goes the adventuring?"

"Actually, it has been pretty amazing. Me and Gible got our first battle done with. We were able to beat a flock of Spearow, and we even met another traveller."

Ash failed to notice the look of surprise that showed on Oak's face as the boy retold the events of the day, with his Gible making wild hand motions as if trying to give the man a visual example of them.

"Wait, a flock! An entire flock of Spearow!"

"Yes. Gible defeated all of them and I caught them so that I could get them healed and then release them. But after I did that, I saw a large, golden bird in the sky that left behind a rainbow. It looked like that Pokémon over there in the picture."

The Professor gawked at the boy, before straightening his face and coming up with a reasonable explanation.

"Ash, that is Ho-oh, a legendary Pokémon that very few have ever seen. What you saw must have been a Fearow attracted by the cries of the Spearow. So you said that you caught all of the defeated Spearow, eh? How many were there?"

"There were eleven. And I caught all of them."

Ash nearly jumped out of his seat when the Professor yelled out in joyous victory, before dancing around in his lab for a few moments. The researcher then calmed down and faced the young trainer.

"Ash, I might as well explain what that was about. Before he left, Gary made me a bet that he'd catch more Pokémon than you before you both got to Viridian City."

That was when a bell ringed in the background, as Oak looked towards where the door should be.

"Well, that is my pizza. Food is much better when someone else pays. I'll talk to you later Ash, keep up the good work. Bye Gible."

Ash got up and stretched a bit, before turning to his Pokémon.

"Hey, I guess we should go to be-"

The boy was interrupted by a huge explosion, as the ceiling broke and smoke filtered inside the building.

Author's **Note :**

 **Hey guys and gals! I was able to get this chapter done early, but I doubt that the next update will be this quick. I have mid terms up in a week, and life's pretty hectic at the moment.**

 **So, I plan on updating TGC next, because I need to actually make a whole team for Ash, and think over some incidents.**

 **Now, the reasons Gible beat the Spearow are:**

 **a) Gible is a considerably strong Pokémon, plus this one is already a Level 8. So Route 1 Spearow should be no problem.**

 **b) I never understood the repetitive concept in most fanfics that Ash just had to run away from the Spearow. I mean, come on! There was this one I read where, despite the fact that he had a Blaziken, a Gardevoir, a Lucario, and a Ninetales, he ran away from the Spearow. Are you real? They were a dozen Spearow!**

 **c) As I just stated above, here were a dozen Spearow. Now, I'm sure there were more in the actual anime episode one, but I switched it to a more understandable number.**

 **Well, guess that's a wrap. So, if you have any questions, leave a review, or shoot me a PM. I'd appreciate it if you follow or favorite. See you with the next chapter.**

Peace Out

Kofukuna Shi no Kami


	3. Viridian City: Trouble Brews

**The Tales of A Trainer**

 **Disclaimer : I do not own Pokémon**

"Mwuahahaha!"

"Seems like today's our lucky day Jessie. There's no one here except for that brat."

"You're right James. This will definitely be rewarding."

"Meowth! That's right."

Ash covered his face and held Gible close as the smoke began to slowly dissipate. He could vaguely make out three figures in the lobby.

The first was a woman who had long, neon pink hair that fell to her lower back. She had green earrings, along with a strange uniform that consisted of a short sleeved white shirt that exposed her midriff, a similar black shirt under it that was a little longer but still showed her navel, and a pair of white skirt that came to her mid thighs. She also wore elbow length white gloves and knee long black boots.

The second figure was a male, who wore a long sleeved white shirt and a pair of white pants. He also had black boots that went till his shins, and had relatively short and well kept lavender hair.

The last silhouette was of a small Pokémon. The creature was a bipedal white cat, with an unnaturally large head. It had a golden pendant on its forehead, along with a smug smirk.

Both the humans had a red 'R' on their shirts, as if it were a logo or some kind of symbol.

At last, the entirety of the fumes diffused, and the invading trio got a good look at Ash. Or more specifically, at what he held in his arms. The three were stunned to see an ultra rare Pokémon from Sinnoh, one that had never been seen in the wild in Kanto. It was one of the few Dragon types found in the world, and was known for becoming insanely powerful when evolved.

They were pulled out of their reverie by the raven haired boy's voice reaching out to them.

Ash couldn't believe his misfortune. For all times people could have crashed into the PokeCentre, they decided to do it when Nurse Joy left to check up on the Pokémon.

"Who the hell are you? What do you want?"

Ash was more than surprised when the answer came from the cat Pokémon. Apparently, it was quite fluent in English.

"We's are Team Rocket's finest members. And were here for your Pokémon. Now be a good little brat and fork 'em over!"

The Dragon Master-in-training angrily growled as he tightened his hold over his Pokémon. Ash would have questioned the talking Pokémon, but he was more preoccupied with the desire to keep his Pokémon safe. He pulled his Pokedex out of his pocket and scanned the Pokémon in front of him.

 **Meowth**

 **Scratch Cat Pokémon**

 **Usually found in back alleys and abandoned homes, this Pokémon travels in groups. They are also common domestic pets.**

 **Male**

 **Level 10**

 **Normal**

Ash gritted his teeth. That was a higher level than any he had encountered so far. He then scanned his own Gible to see how it would match up, and was pleasantly surprised.

 **Gible**

 **Level 15**

 **Dragon, Ground**

 **Tackle, Dragon Rage, Iron Head, Take Down**

It seemed as if the battle with all those Spearow had really helped Gible along, and the raven haired trainer was confident that his Pokémon would be able to defeat the Meowth.

"Come on Gible! Let's show these guys what we're made of!"

The blue Dragon hopped forward to confront its feline foe, as the three Team Rocket members seemed to be amused by Ash's attempts to beat them.

"Looks like you picked the hard way. No matter, that just delays the inevitable."

Again, these words came from the cat Pokémon, as it stepped forwards before holding its paws out and showing its claws. This did not deter the opposing duo, as Gible stood its ground fearlessly.

Suddenly the Meowth ran forwards, and Ash had to admit that it was quite fast. Its claws began to glow brightly, signifying that it had used a move of some sort.

"How'd ya like a mouthful of **Fury Swipes**!"

"Gible, use **Iron Head** to push it back!"

The cat pulled back its paw before bringing it down onto the blue Pokémon, only for the claws to bounce off its metallic head. But before the white Pokémon could do anything, the baby Dragon pounced forwards and rammed its head into the Meowth's abdomen.

The cat sailed back for a few yards before skidding to a stop near its accomplices. It shook off the pain and got up again, glaring daggers at the Land Shark Pokémon.

"That does it, brat! You're done for!"

This time the Meowth ran at them even faster, almost like a white blur. It was upon Gible within an instant, and rammed into it. Gible tried to brace itself but flew back and landed on its back. It got up and began to growl angrily at the cat.

Ash frowned as he tried to assess what had happened. The cat had been much slower than that, but it seemed to have temporarily boosted its speed greatly. That was when it hit him like a pile of bricks.

"Gible, be careful. It's using **Quick Attack** to move faster and hit you. You'll have to hit it when it's close to you. At that moment, give it your best **Dragon Rage**!"

The aforementioned just continued to smile smugly, before once again activating **Fury Swipes** , and running forwards in a white blur. But this time, the bipedal Dragon was ready. It inhaled huge amounts of air before charging up a Dragon Rage attack. Just as it was hit by the Meowth, it released the inferno upon its opponent, and landed a successful hit.

The Meowth fell to the ground, and struggled to get back to his feet in vain.

"Well, it seems that the twerp has some strength after all."

The pink haired female's voice rang out in the silent room. It was followed by the voice of her lavender haired companion.

"Humph, he just got lucky. I suggest we discipline him personally for interfering with Team Rocket's goals. Koffing, come on out!"

"I agree. Ekans, show time!"

The duo threw forward two more Pokeballs, which burst open and released a blinding flash of white light. The light faded away to reveal two Pokémon.

The first was a large ball that was floating in the air. It had purple skin with wrinkles and bumps all over it, and seemed to be sick. It released a strange green gas from its mouth, and had a crossed bones sign on its underbelly.

The other resembled a snake, as it had a long body, no arms or feet, and a round head. Its scales were a venomous purple, and it had a yellow tail which caused it to resemble a rattlesnake, along with a large yellow stripe around its neck.

 **Koffing**

 **Poison Gas Pokémon**

 **Because it stores several kinds of toxic gases in its body, it is prone to exploding without warning.**

 **Male**

 **Level 10**

 **Poison**

After concluding that, the Pokedex spoke once more.

 **Ekans**

 **Snake Pokémon**

 **Moves silently and stealthily. Eats the eggs of birds, such as Pidgey and Spearow, whole.**

 **Level 10**

 **Female**

 **Poison**

The Pokedex immediately showed the information on the two new Pokémon. Although Ash was confident that his starter could beat the two Poison Types, Gible was showing signs of exhaustion.

Giving the boy no time to think, the two criminals ordered their respective Pokémon to attack the Dragon Type.

"Now Ekans, use **Bite**!"

"Koffing, use **Poison** **Gas**!"

Ash shook his head and focused on the problem at hand. He had to trust his Pokémon, and believe in its strength.

"Gible, you have to dodge their attacks, and then quickly use **Dragon** **Rage** on the both of them!"

His Pokémon recalled the method he had used to defeat the flock of Spearow, and waited till the last second to jump out of the way.

Just as the two Poison Types flew by him, Gible charged up his attack and let it loose towards his opponents. Unfortunately, James and Jessie weren't about to let that happen.

"Ekans, avoid the attack and use **Wrap** on Gible! Make sure to squeeze the little critter!"

"Koffing, use **Quick** **Attack** , and get out of the way of the attack."

The Team Rocket Pokémon immediately followed their Trainers' orders. Before Gible could move, it found itself wrapped up by Ekans.

Thinking quickly for the sake of his Pokémon, Ash yelled out his next commands, and hoped that they would succeed.

"Gible, use a close range **Dragon** **Rage** on Ekans!"

The Land Shark Pokémon complied, immediately firing one at the Snake Pokémon's purple scaly skin.

The purple Pokémon moaned in pain, before it slowly released the Dragon Type, who continued to hit it with his **Dragon** **Rage** , until it limply collapsed to the floor, with swirls in its eyes.

"No! How dare you?! James, avenge me!"

"Aye aye Jessie! Koffing, use Pound, and follow up with Poison Gas!"

With shocking agility, the Poison Gas Pokémon rushed forwards at the Dragon Type, before ramming into it full force, and succeeding in sending it back by a few metres. It then proceeded to release its Poison Gas.

Ash knew that Gible wouldn't be able to last much longer, so he had to put it all into this one last attack.

"Gible, finish it off with one final Dragon Rage!"

The blue bipedal Pokémon got up with a grunt, before it quickly charged up the familiar neon glow in its mouth. It used its superior speed to its advantage, and fired off the inferno before Koffing could complete its own attack.

The blue flames impacted the purple Pokémon, and the gas it had been able to release around itself. That resulted in a blinding flash of light, followed by what sounded like a clap of thunder. The raven haired boy covered his eyes immediately, as he felt a wave of heat pass over him, and silence settled in around him.

Ash removed his hands from his face, and was shocked to see a large hole in the roof of the building, which was slowly letting all the smoke filter out into the dark sky. Team Rocket was nowhere in sight, but the Dragon Trainer rushed forward when he saw his starter lying on the floor, completely unconscious.

Ash picked up the Land Shark Pokémon, and after ensuring that it was breathing, he got up and began to search for Nurse Joy and Misty. His footsteps echoed in the empty halls, as he stopped only to check inside the closed doors. Just as he was about to retrace his steps to the lobby, he saw the familiar pink Pokémon he had seen earlier.

"Chansey! I need help, my Gible's hurt. Do you know where Nurse Joy is?"

The Pokémon nodded in understanding, before moving forward and holding her arms out towards the blue Dragon Type that lay in Ash's arms. A mystical aquamarine glow was emitted from her paws, as a feeling of tranquillity and comfort washed over the raven haired trainer, and it seemed to have an even greater effect on his starter, as the Land Shark Pokémon began to breathe easily.

Before Ash could express his gratitude, Chansey had begun to walk away, probably towards the Nurse, and he followed.

After a few minutes of silence, the trio arrived at a pair of large, mechanical doors, which opened automatically ad they approached it, to reveal a room filled with Pokeballs everywhere, a strange machine with a conveyor belt, and a tired Nurse Joy.

"Oh, thank God, you're okay Ash. I had been checking on the Pokémon when the surveillance system showed Team Rocket appearing. I would have helped, but I'm no good at Pokémon battles, so I decided to send the Pokémon to Pewter City's PokeCentre. I was really worried when the cameras blacked out a little while ago, but it seems like you're fine."

Ash couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. He hadn't realized the full impact of it, but he had just defeated a gang of criminals, and saved dozens of Pokémon. On the first day of his journey too!

The Dragon Master-in-training was brought out of his thoughts when the pink haired nurse moved forward and took Gible from his hold gently.

"Well, Gible seems to be holding up better than I would have thought, even with Chansey having healed him. But he'll still have to rest for the entire night under my supervision, just in case. Now, I'll need his Pokeball, and you should go and get some rest for yourself as well. We're lucky that most of the building is still intact."

The raven haired boy agreed with the nurse, as the day's events finally caught up to him. He pulled the Pokeball off his belt, and handed it to the pink haired woman in its miniaturised form, before bidding her and Gible good night.

Chansey lead him through the halls to his room, and he collapsed in the single bed which was standing against the farthest wall, which had a window in it. Before Ash even realized it, he was out like a light.

 **Author's Note :** **Hello guys and gals! Long time no see, or post. I apologize about that break, but my midterms came up and I was unable to focus on this during the holidays either. Unfortunately, I cannot spare as much time for this as I did before, so updates will be much slower. I'm sorry, but I need to take out more time for my studies.** **Well, that's that. Now, regarding the chapter, I know that Lvl. 15 seems ridiculous, but Gible had already been on a higher than usual level, plus it is not necessary that the Spearow were weak. They could've been Lvl. 10 or 11, but would have still been defeated by two Dragon Rages, plus the damage done by the Iron Head.** **Furthermore, it may not have seemed like it, but Team Rocket will be more competent as compared to the series. That was just shameful.** **Finally, Ash will be getting other Pokémon Types, because a team of just Dragons is simply unpractical. But most of those Pokémon will be Dragon-like, aggressive, etc.** **Well, that's a wrap. See you guys next time with a new chapter.**

Peace Out

Kofukuna Shi no Kami


	4. Through The Forest! Hello Pewter City!

**The Tales of a Trainer**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon**

The raven-haired trainer was woken up by a sharp series of knocks on the door of his room, as he untangled himself from the sheets clumsily, and fell out of the bed.

Ash pushed himself up with a slight groan, as his joints popped back into place, and he scratched the itch on his nose as he headed towards the door.

"Open this door Ash! It's already 11 in the morning, and you aren't up. Plus, the PokéCentre is completely wrecked! What the hell happened?"

The teenager pulled open the door,to reveal a much drier, and much more irritated Misty than the one he had met last night.The red head was wearing a fresh pair of the same clothes she had had on the previous night.But her face was contorted into a visage of rage.

"And where the hell is my bicycle? I have been trying to find it all morning!"

Ash frowned at the way the girl kept on yelling at him. "Hey, no need to be so angry. Your bike's outside, in the parking area."

Misty calmed down considerably after that, although she could not help but feel slightly embarrassed that she had not even checked the PokéCentre's parking area.

Ash didn't focus on Misty, instead choosing to recall the crazy events of the previous night. He smiled slightly as he remembered that him and Gible had worked together to defeat the thieving members of Team Rocket.

Ash gasped as he realized that Gible might still be injured, and he rushed out of the room, running towards the lobby barefoot, ignoring Misty who had been standing in front of his door silently. The redhead wondered why the boy ran away without any visible cause, and ran after him.

Upon reaching the desk, the trainer was greeted enthusiastically by Nurse Joy, who seemed to completely ignore the fact that half of the ceiling had fallen in and was still sitting on the floor.

"Please Nurse Joy, tell me, how is my Gible doing?" Ash asked, the concern in his voice evident.

The pink haired woman replied in a happy tone. "No need for you to worry Ash. Gible was just a little tired after last night, but now he's right as rain." With that the nurse reached under the counter and lifted a small tray which had six small sections. In one of the sections was a Pokéball which the trainer immediately recognized was his.

He reached for it quickly, and pressed down on the button on the spherical object. It popped open, and let out a bolt of energy, which materialised on the floor. There stood Gible, looking completely healed, and ready for more adventures. The Land Shark Pokémon smiled at his trainer, before calling out in its own name. The Dragon Master-in-training kneeled down to his starter, before lightly stroking the fin on its head.

"You are the best starter anybody could ask for, Gible. You really are something special." The boy remarked, earning a victorious cry from the blue creature.

Misty smiled at the exchange between the two. It just went to show how close a trainer can be with his Pokémon. She knew what that deep emotional connection felt like.

"It's incredible how well you are bonded with your Pokémon. I'm sure you guys have been through a whole lot together." The orange haired teenager commented. But Ash merely scratched the back of his head sheepishly before replying. "Actually, I just got Gible yesterday morning. I'm a new trainer, so I haven't had him for too long yet."

This only served to further surprise the girl. She couldn't understand how a Pokémon could be so close to their trainer having known them for less than 48 hours. It took her months to even come close to being this comfortable around her own Pokémon, and she was still better off than most. If anything, this claim only strengthened her belief that Ash would definitely be a great Trainer one day.

"Well, I am afraid I must inform you that you cannot stay here any longer. It is mandatory that any PokéCentre without complete structural integrity be evacuated as soon as possible, so that repairs may begin." The soft voice of the nurse reminded the three of her presence, as they realized that she was correct. The place really had been done a number on, and seemed ready to collapse at any moment. It was almost a miracle that the entire ceiling had not caved in yet.

The two trainers nodded to the woman. Misty was ready to leave at any time, as she had not unpacked any of her stuff except for a set of clothes so that she could change. Ash's backpack was ready to go, and it was waiting upstairs, in his room.

"Well, Ash, it was nice to meet you, but I need to get going now. This small excursion has already set me back by a whole day, and I need all the time I can get if I want to catch the best Water Type Pokémon out there." Misty explained, before she headed upstairs to get her bag.

Ash merely continued to pet Gible before the two also headed upstairs to get his bag.

When Ash came downstairs, he saw Misty was still in the lobby, standing at the counter. He thought that she would have left by now. He walked up to the counter and turned to the Nurse. "Thank you very much for your hospitality Nurse Joy. And thanks for healing my Pokémon time and time again. I don't know what I would have done otherwise."

The Nurse giggled at the teenager's words. "Well, that is my job, Ash. Though I must thank you for the immense help you provided against Team Rocket. I had been sure that we were all goners."

The boy looked away embarrassedly, before shrugging off her words. After that, both he and Misty walked out of the PokéCentre, and gave the Nurse a final wave.

"Well, I suppose this is where I go ahead. It was good to meet another trainer." The boy said. The orange haired girl nodded in response as she walked to her bicycle, before turning to the teen.

"You'll be participating in the League this year, won't you?" Ash nodded in reply to her question.

"Then I guess I might just see you there. I need to pick up my training, but hopefully, one day I will be able to dazzle the entire region with the power of my Water Pokémon!" Misty yelled out enthusiastically, as she mounted her bike.

"In that case, I'm going to hope you make it to the League, because I want to show you the amazing power of Dragon Type Pokémon. Me and Gible are going to wreck you and your Water Types!" The boy yelled insistently, a determined look in his eyes as he spoke.

Misty chuckled at his antics, before nodding to his challenge. "Then it is decided. We will see each other in the League, and may the best Trainer win. And, just as a parting gift, I'd like to give you one of my fishing rods."She said, as she pulled out a fancy blue fishing rod from her backpack, which was folded into itself. "You should hold onto it just in case you see some Water Type Pokémon you like."

Ash accepted the fishing rod gratefully, carefully putting it into his backpack. "Thanks Misty, I'll make sure to get at least some Water Types, and I'll make sure to train to be the best they can be."

With those words the girl extended her hand to the boy, who gladly took it, and shook it vigorously to seal the deal. After that, Misty departed on her bike without another word, riding her way back to Route 1.

Ash and Gible watched her leave, before turning around and making their way towards the forest line that was the only visible entrance into Viridian Forest.

The raven-haired boy sighed, as the hot sun beat down on him, and the sweltering heat caused his clothes to feel stuffy. The two had been walking through the forest for nearly three hours now, and they had yet to see any sign of Pewter City.

Gible was also growing restless. He had not had a good fight since the previous night, and he was itching to duke it out. Unfortunately, the duo had not seen many wild Pokémon in the forest either, except for Kakunas and Metapods.And they didn't want to have to bother those guys.

A sudden rustle caught the teenager's attention, as both he and his starter turned around, only to see an armoured boy diving towards them. Ash grabbed Gible, before rolling to the side to avoid the boy.

The Dragon Master-in-training rose to his feet to see a young boy, who might have been a year older than him, donned in a samurai's armour which looked to be too big on him. In his hand was a katana, which we held in front of himself, ready to strike.

"Gible use Iron Head on him!" The trainer yelled out. Without any hesitation, the blue bipedal creature leaped towards the armed man, and hit him in the abdomen with a glowing head. The attack sent him flying off his feet, until he collided with the thick trunk of a tree headfirst, and crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

The trainer wondered whether he had been too harsh by having attacked the man with his Pokémon, but he then realized that the guy had quite literally charged at him with a sword.

The boy shrugged his shoulders, before continuing through the forestry, with his starter quickly following him.

But they didn't get very far before a screech came from above them, echoing through the foliage. Ash looked up, and saw a large bird flying in the sky. The bird circled around them twice, before making a sharp dive towards the ground, barrelling straight towards the duo.

As the bird was descending, Ash pulled out Dexter, and quickly scanned the wild Pokémon.

 **Pidgeotto**

 **Bird Pokémon**

 **This Pokémon flies around, patrolling its large territory. If its living space is violated, it shows no mercy in thoroughly punishing the foe with its sharp claws.**

 **Female**

 **Normal, Flying**

"Gible, use Iron Head to fend off his attack!" Ash yelled out, hoping to use the same strategy he had used against the Spearow.

But it seemed that the Pokémon wasn't going to fall for that defence. The bird vanished from in front of the Land Shark Pokémon, and in less than a second, it appeared behind it, and rushed at it, tackling Gible at insanely high speeds.

The trainer yelled out to his starter to make sure he was okay, and was glad to see the Pokémon quickly rise up to its feet. He was confused by the attack the Bird Pokémon had used, because it had seemed like a much more powerful version of Quick Attack. But if there was one thing he could tell; it was that he was honestly very impressed. "Okay Gible, I think that Pidgeotto will make a great addition to our team. Follow up with a quick Take Down, before it can counter."

Gible nodded and charged at the Bird Pokémon, ramming into its back. The creature screeched in pain, as it was flung toward a tree, barely being able to right itself before collision. The bird shook off most of the pain, before letting out another cry, before charging at the Land Shark Pokémon again.

As it grew closer, Gible prepared to dodge, only for Ash to yell out another command. "Gible, wait until the last second, and then jump onto the top of Pidgeotto's back." The blue creature gave a questioning look to his Trainer, but chose to trust him nonetheless. As soon as the bird was only a metre away, the smaller Pokémon leapt into the air, and landed onto its opponent's back.

The bird immediately began to panic, as it flew around fiercely, trying to throw off the small Dragon Type. But Gible persevered, and held onto the feathers of the Bird Pokémon.

"Okay Gible, now finish it off with a close-up Dragon Rage!" Ash called out, and Gible proceeded to do just that. The flames of the attack were a direct hit on the wild Pokémon, causing it to finally lose the last of its strength, as it began to descend. Gible leapt off of the Pokémon just before they hit the ground, as the bird itself continued a few metres forward before coming to a stop. It was not unconscious, but was in no condition to move, let alone fight back.

"Alright, this is it!" The boy cried out, as he pulled a Pokéball from off of his belt, before pulling it back. "I'm going to catch my first Pokémon!" He chucked the Pokéball at the fallen Pokémon, causing it to pop open upon contact and pull in the bird with a ray of red light. The capsule shook a few times, before the red light on it faded, causing it to emit a small ping.

Ash leapt into the air with joy, before rushing forward to pick up his newly occupied Pokéball.Which he held up with no small amount of pride, before clipping it onto his belt. He then turned to his starter, who himself was grinning back at him. "Well Gible, looks like we have our first official teammate. And I know it isn't a Dragon Type, but I'm sure the guy will pack a punch."

Gible nodded in return, excited at the prospect of having another Pokémon to join him and his Trainer on their journey. He could already imagine training and battling alongside the Bird Pokémon.

"Now, let's continue, we need to get to Pewter City soon. And the sooner we get Pidgeottoto a PokéCentre, and get him some medical help, the sooner we can properly introduce ourselves." The two began to resume their trek through the foliage, intent on getting to their destination.

Several hours later, as the sun began to set, the duo finally broke free from the forestry, and arrived upon a path which descended into the city below. Even from this distance, Ash could make out the Gym building, as it was one of the largest in the entire city, with the logo of the Pokémon League upon its roof.

Ash walked towards the PokéCentre, ignoring a man who sat on a ledge surrounded by large piles of rocks, with the objective of having Pidgeotto healed on his mind. He soon entered the red-roofed building, before rushing straight to the front desk, pleased to see Nurse Joy behind the counter.

"Good evening Nurse Joy, I would like to heal my Pokémon." He said, before presenting the Pokéball for Pidgeotto, and placing Gible on the counter next to it. Nurse Joy nodded, placing the Pokéball on a tray, and sitting the Land Shark Pokémon on the same tray. She then rang a bell which summoned a Chansey, who proceeded to take away the tray to the healing unit, leaving the trainer with the nurse.

"Other than that, I would like to register for the Kanto Conference." Ash said as he pulled out his PokéDex, and presented it to the pink-haired woman. "Well of course Ash, it would be my pleasure." She responded with a sharp smile, before quickly turning toward the computer, and entering the raven-haired boy's Trainer information. She was soon finished, and she returned the PokéDex to the boy with a small smile. "I have successfully registered you in the Pokémon League Database as a Trainer competing in the Gym Badge Challenge. I wish you the best of luck on your journey Ash. What else may I assist you with?"

"Actually, I would also like to stay here for the next three nights, so I will be needing a room." The Trainer said, as the Nurse nodded, before handing him a key which she picked up from under the counter. "I hope you enjoy your stay here, Ash."

The boy nodded his head, but asked another question before he left. "How do you know my name, Nurse Joy?" He couldn't recall having told her his name, and she had known even before he had shown her his PokéDex.

The nurse merely smiled at him. "I, along with every one of my cousins in the region, were informed about you by our cousin in Viridian. She told us that you had helped her when she was attacked by vicious criminals from Team Rocket. I must say, your actions have begun to form a bit of a reputation for you. It was very brave of you to help protect the PokéCentre."

Ash grinned as he felt himself swell with pride. "It was nothing, Nurse Joy. I just had to help protect the Pokémon." He responded, while scratching the back of his head, as he went to his room, intent on going to bed after his tiring day. He had been walking for the previous eight hours or so, only taking one break to feed himself and his Pokémon. He had honestly not expected all the travelling to be this tiring. Yet he had to admit, it was an enjoyable element of being a Pokémon Trainer, as it allowed him to see literally everything the world had to offer.

As he entered his room, he was glad to see the welcoming bed. It was just what he needed to replenish his energy after a long day of trekking through the Viridian Forest, and catching a new Pokémon. He fell down onto his bed, as thoughts of the next day ran through his mind. He had decided that he would allow his Pokémon to rest for the night, so that they could all get up early the next day. He wanted to train with them a little, so that he could learn more about his most recent catch, and also try to have them warm up a little, before challenging the Pewter City gym leader. He felt a rush of excitement run through his veins at the prospect.

Tomorrow would be his first official gym battle. He was sure that it was going to be a difficult battle, much more difficult than all the wild Pokémon he had been battling recently, but that thought did not deter him in the least. In fact, it only spurred him on, when he considered the implications of it. The battle would most likely test his limits, and force him and his Pokémon to do their very best. And Ash knew that he would deliver, and so would his Pokémon. It was with those thoughts that the young Trainer began to drift off to sleep.

The next morning, Ash woke up uncharacteristically early. He expected the reason was the fact that he had gone to bed very early, and that he had a very important battle today, but it was still not something he was used to, so he felt tired, even as he pushed himself out of the bed. He made his way to the toilet, and began to get ready for the day, as the sun began to rise and filter into his room through the curtains.

Soon, he had changed into his clothes, choosing to forego the cloak, as he didn't want it to get in the way of his training. He made his way to the front desk, where a Chansey sat on duty. He greeted the Chansey brightly, before asking it for his Pokémon. The pink creature walked into the medical ward, and returned with a tray, upon which lied his starter, fast asleep, and the Pokéball for his Pidgeotto. The raven-haired trainer shook his starter lightly, so as to wake him up, only for the Land Shark Pokémon to bite down on his hand, still asleep.

The Dragon Master-in-Training let out a small scream, which immediately woke up Gible. The blue bipedal Pokémon released his Trainer's hand, as he sheepishly looked away from Ash. Seeing the guilty look on the Pokémon's face, Ash decided to let his misdemeanour slide, and instead picked him up and placed him down on the floor, before grabbing the Pokéball for his latest catch.

"Okay Gible, I need you to know that today, we are going to be facing the Pewter City gym leader. The gym leader is going to be much more powerful than the Pokémon you face on a regular basis in the wild, so we'll have to give it our all.This is going to be our firststep towards becoming stronger, and becoming Dragon Type Masters."

Gible nodded fervently in response, a look of fierce excitement on his face, as all signs of sleep vanished. "Gib gib, Gible!" The small Dragon Type responded,with just as much determination as his trainer had shown.

The two walked out of the PokéCentre and headed for a small battle field located next to the building, which was purposely made to provide residing trainers with a safe area to train and battle. Upon arriving, Ash pulled out the Pokéball for his Pidgeotto, before tossing it into the air. The capsule opened and released a ray of light, which materialised into the Bird Pokemon.The Pokémon screeched out, before flying down andnimbly landing next to Gible, in front of her new trainer.

"Hello Pidgeotto, my name's Ash Ketchum, and I'm your new trainer. We might have gotten off on the wrong foot, but I want you to know that my Pokémon are like family to me, so I will make sure that you don't regret being captured by me." The Bird Pokémon seemed to accept the boy's words, and grew slightly more excited. "Now all I need to do is scan you to see which moves you know."

Ash pulled out his PokéDex, and used it to quickly scan Pidgeotto. He was quite pleased to see that she had more than a few powerful moves. It had Tackle, Aerial Ace, Gust and Whirlwind, which gave it a great moveset for close combat and ranged fighting. "Okay, this gives us quite a bit to work with. Now, I want the two of you to practice dodging manoeuvres by firing attacks at each other. That way we can warm up for our gym battle, and you guys will be better prepared for it."

With his commands, the two creatures proceeded to attack each other, while simultaneously trying to dodge the attacks of the other. Gible was mostly working on his Dragon Rage, whereas Pidgeotto would alternate between Whirlwind and Gust. At first,they were not able to dodge many of the attacks sent their way, but they slowly grew more agile, and were taking less and less direct hits. But another thing he began to notice was that every attack was taking longer to prepare, and they were slowly growing to be weaker, until Gible's Dragon Rage was just a small ember, and Pidgeotto's Gust was barely felt.

The trainer saw this, and wondered why it was that his Pokémon had grown so weak as compared to mere moments ago. The reason hit him like a ton of bricks, as he mentally cursed at his own stupidity.

"Alright guys, I think that should be enough. Could you guys come over here?" The raven-haired boy requested. The two Pokémon slowly made their way to him, and he could tell that they were thoroughly exhausted. And now, the reason was obvious. As it was, Ash had failed to put his Pokémon through any proper training.Gible had an advantage over most of the Pokémon it had faced until now due to its surprisingly high level. But that would only take him so far unless they worked on improving his base strength, which would happen by training. And the boy knew that he couldn't blame his Pokémon for that. As their trainer, that responsibility was solely his.

"Okay guys, that was great, so I'd like you to take a small break while I pull out some Pokéchow for you guys. But after breakfast, there's something that I'll have to discuss with you guys." With that announcement, he headed back towards his room, with both of his Pokémon following behind him.

Ash gave both of them large helpings of Pokéchow in separate bowls, which they immediately jumped onto. The boy chuckled as they were soon finished with their food. "How about you guys pop back into your Pokéballs for now, while I go downstairs and get myself something as well." The two happily complied, and were soon in their own capsules, while Ash walked to the PokéCentre cafeteria to eat.

He ordered himself a stack of pancakes and quickly dug in. But, despite the great taste, he didn't show the usual vigour he had when eating. And that was due to the current turmoil going on within his mind. He had come to the decision that he would hold off on challenging the local gym leader for a couple of days, to allow himself to properly train his Pokémon. He had failed to pay attention to any of their weaknesses ever since he had them, and that had shown during the short training session he had held earlier. In only ten minutes, both of his Pokémon had reached their limit, and that had been a friendly spar, rather than an actual battle.

He had chosen to train his Pokémon thoroughly for the next two days or so, before challenging the gym leader. He knew that if he were to challenge them right now, he would most likely lose. To lose their very first gym battle would no doubt be a harsh blow to his team, and he knew neither he nor his Pokémon were ready for such a thing.

That only left him with one choice, to train his Pokémon to their very best, so that they could defeat the gym. The only thing that remained now, was to inform his Pokémon.

Back in the field, Ash released his Pokémon, glad to see that both had recuperated and were once again full of energy. "Guys, I have some really important news. Unfortunately, we won't be challenging the gym leader today." Both creatures seemed to deflate considerably at this, which urged the raven-haired boy to continue. "Instead, we need to use up our time to train and improve upon our skills, so that when we do challenge the gym, we can show them who's boss." This caused them to grow a bit more excited, as they called out their respective names, as if agreeing with their trainer.

So, for most of the day, Ash continued to watch his Pokémon training, helping them whenever he could. He was glad to see the determination they both showed. They practiced the same way they had in the morning; except they were already showing great improvement.

'I'm glad I caught this in the bud before things got worse. I can't believe I had forgotten to even begin to train my Pokémon.' The Dragon Master-in-training berated himself mentally, before looking over to where his Pokémon were still training. 'At least I can trust my Pokémon to put in their whole effort. This way, there isn't a chance that the gym leader will beat us. Boulder badge, here we come.'

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Hi! So, this chapter is kinda out of left field, I know, especially since I didn't think this would be the one I'd be updating. But it happened, and I have great news. The next chapter is also completely typed out! I'll go through it a couple of times, before posting. But man, reading Fanfiction is soooo great. Everytime I'm about to write on the app, I just think of a new fandom and begin reading that, until rinse and repeat.**

 **But I'm glad I was able to write out two chapters. I'm also trying to increase the length to about 5K words, and then gradually maybe take it higher.**

 **Well, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. And sorry, but Ash will not be travelling with Misty. She will be a recurring character of sorts, but not an every chapter one. Sorry PokeShippers.**

 **And I know I skipped most of Viridian Forest, but honestly that would have been filler stuff, which I don't plan on making too abundant this early on.**

 **Next time, we will probably have the first gym battle, so look out for it. It will probably drop by a week.**

 **And, side note, recently been reading some comics and fanfics on the Teen Titans, and DCverse, and damn, I'm beginning to love Beast Boy. I already loved the original Teen Titans show, and the pairing of BBRae, but recently I just began to read into it a bit more, and...whoosh. If anyone of you guys likes BBRae, I strongly suggest checking out Allen Blaster on . Amazing stuff, amazing. I especially recommend his The White Stick. It is complete now, but I used to read it back when he was still updating, and man that was great.**

 **Okay, enough fangirling over BBRae. Hooe you guys enjoyed the chapter.**

Peace Out

Kofukuna Shi No Kami


	5. Pewter Gym! The First Battle!

**The Tales Of A Trainer**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon**

The foreboding gates to the gym automatically flew open with a tremendous creak as soon as Ash had climbed up the stairs. He briefly wondered who had opened them, before redirecting his interest toward his objective. He was here for one thing and one thing only.

"I am Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town, and I challenge the gym leader to an official Pokémon match." He announced loudly into the darkness of the gym. He waited for a few moments, only to receive no response.

All of a sudden, he began doubting whether this was a good idea. He knew he had been waiting for this battle for the last three days, but maybe he shouldn't have stormed in here. He grew worried that the gym leader might have taken some offense from his actions. For all he knew, one was supposed to get an appointment for a battle. He grew slightly apprehensive of his actions, until he heard a call below out from the darkness.

"Welcome, Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town. I, Brock Takeshi of Pewter City, accept your challenge." Bright lights flashed on, causing the raven-haired trainer to turn away from the gym. After his eyes had adjusted to the glare of the sharp lights, he scanned the room quickly, looking over its structure. On the other side of the huge chamber was a young man, who looked to be almost eighteen years old looking at him. Between them was a large battle field, with large boulders scattered across it. "We will have a two on two Pokémon battle, where only the challenger is allowed to substitute their Pokémon. We will now begin the match."

Ash nodded, before stepping forth into the trainer box. He pulled a Pokéball off of his belt, before cocking it back, and throwing it onto the field.

Brock mirrored his actions, sending out his own Pokéball, which landed at the same time, releasing a Pokémon from inside. The creature materialized to show a rock like Pokémon, who had only two arms, and its face was on its middle.

Ash's own Pidgeotto appeared on the field, while the boy pulled out his PokéDex to scan the rock-like Pokémon.

 **Geodude**

 **Rock Pokémon**

 **It uses its arms to steadily climb steep mountain paths. It swings its fists around if angered.**

 **Male**

 **Rock, Ground**

"It seems you didn't come completely prepared, rookie. Your Pidgeotto doesn't stand a chance against a Rock Type like my Geodude. Now, Geodude, start this off with Rock Throw." The gym leader's Pokémon immediately responded by picking up a boulder in each hand, before tossing it toward the Bird Pokémon.

"Pidgeotto, get out of the way, and use Agility to boost your speed." The novice trainer commanded. Pidgeotto swerved between the rocks, before flying around the field in a whole circle, steadily gaining speed.

"You can run, but you can't hide. Geodude, follow it up with Rock Polish, and then continue using Rock Throw."

A gleam ran over the Rock Pokémon's body, before it once again began chucking rocks at its opponent, but at a much faster speed now. Pidgeotto was able to avoid the hits due to its own superior speed, but the battle wasn't getting anywhere.

The boy gritted his teeth as the battle continued in this manner. He knew that sooner or later, Pidgeotto was going to grow tired and slow down. And he had to act fast before that happened. "Pidgeotto, wait for the rocks to come close, and then blast them back with a powerful Whirlwind."

The Bird Pokémon did as told, and waited for a few rocks to come closer to her, before flapping her wings as hard as she could. The rocks shifted their direction, and flew straight back at the Geodude, sped up by both gravity and the powerful winds. The boulders smashed into the Rock Pokémon, pushing it back a few feet. The creature grimaced as the rocks exploded upon contact against its body.

"Don't let up. Follow that with an Aerial Ace." The Bird Pokémon disappeared instantly, only to attack the Rock Pokémon before reappearing in its original spot.

"Argh! Geodude, use Defense Curl, you can't risk taking more damage. Although I must admit it Ash, your techniques are arguably some of the most unique ones I've seen. It seems I had underestimated you, but I'm not going to make the same mistake again." The gym leader called out, while his Pokémon was enveloped in a blue aura.

Ash quickly grew nervous, as he didn't want to give Brock too much time to recover. "Pidgeotto, use Aerial Ace once more." The bird obeyed, but just as it was within reach, Geodude grabbed its opponent.

"Great job Geodude, now use Seismic Toss." The Rock Pokémon held the bird above itself, before spinning around a few times, building up momentum. It then threw Pidgeotto into the ground, causing a large cloud of dust to form, as a small crater formed under the Bird Pokémon. "Now, finish it off with Rock Throw!"

"Pidgeotto, use Agility to get out of the way." The bird struggled to get up, barely flying out of the way of the incoming rocks. "Now, while its distracted, use Gust to confuse it, before finishing it off with Aerial Ace."

The Flying Type took advantage of its opponent's lack of concentration, before sending a strong blast of wind its way. Just as that drew the attention of the Geodude, Pidgeotto once more disappeared, but at a much faster rate than before, with just as much power behind it. The collision was much more powerful than the previous one, and flung the Rock Type several feet back, with a large cloud of dust rising up.

Ash covered his eyes as the dust slowly settled, to reveal Geodude on the field, unconscious and no longer levitating. His own Pokémon was barely able to remain airborne, huffing laboriously as it maintained its position.

"Geodude is unable to battle. Pidgeotto is the winner. Please send out your next Pokémon." Came the announcement from a referee who Ash still couldn't see.

Brock withdrew his unconscious Rock Pokémon, before pulling out his next Pokéball. "I have to admit Ash, that was unexpected. I'd usually have rookie trainers go through here with Water or Grass Type Pokémon for an easy win, but your battle was different. And to be honest, it was much more exhilarating. Unfortunately, my next Pokémon is not going to be beaten the same way." With that, he threw his Pokéball out onto the field, where it expelled his next Pokémon.

On the rocky terrain appeared a serpentine creature, whose entire body seemed to be made of segmented rocks. It had a horn on top of its head, and let out a bestial roar as it materialized. The raven-haired boy brought out his PokéDex once more, before scanning the opposing Pokémon.

 **Onix**

 **Rock Snake Pokémon**

 **It twists and squirms through the ground. The thunderous roar of its tunneling echoes a long way.**

 **Male**

 **Rock, Ground**

"Okay Pidgeotto, that's enough." The Dragon Master-in-training called out as he withdrew his own Pokémon. "Thanks for all the effort you put into this, I'm really proud of you." After congratulating the Bird Pokémon, he grabbed the Pokéball for his starter from his belt.

"Alright Gible, you're up!" The Pokéball released the small blue bipedal Dragon Type, who cried out his name in excitement, as he turned his sight toward his opponent.

"I must say, I have never seen a Gible up close, let alone battle one. I'm amazed a rookie trainer like you found one in Kanto, especially since they are native to Sinnoh." Brock commented. "Nonetheless, we must continue our battle. Onix, start off with Dig."

The serpentine creature dug straight into the field, rapidly disappearing underground. Gible frantically glanced around, unsure of what to do. "Gible, just charge up Dragon Rage, and be ready to fire whenever that Onix comes back out."

Brock merely smirked at that. "That sort of thing will not work, Ash. Onix, come on out, and attack Gible." The ground rumbled slightly, before the rock snake burst out, charging at Gible. The Dragon Type had been distracted by all the rocks which had been thrown around by the serpentine creature's ascent, but was still able to fire off the Dragon Rage. It wasn't a direct hit, but it still dealt some damage.

"Onix, rush through it and continue your attack!" The Pokémon obeyed, and pushed through the flames of the draconic attack before ramming into the smaller Pokémon. Gible let out a cry of pain as it was flung across the field.

"Gible, get up and get ready to retaliate. We can't let him get the upper hand here." The Dragon Type shook off the pain, before focusing on his opponent with a look of complete determination. "Okay Gible, rush at with Iron Head."

The small Pokémon concentrated, allowing its head to be covered in a bright silver sheen, as it rushed back toward its opponent. Ash could only watch with pride. Over the last few days, Gible had worked himself to the bone on all its attacks, especially the physical ones. The Pokémon had spent hours on end head-butting trees to improve its skill. And right now, Ash could see the huge increase in the sheer power of its attack, as it charged the large Onix.

Brock clenched his jaw, as he knew that that attack would deal more damage to his Onix than he was entirely comfortable with. Yet, he had a strategy brewing in his mind, which would require his Pokémon to take the attack head-on.

Gible leaped into the air, as he slammed his head against the Rock Snake Pokémon. Immediately, the creature flinched, and let out a cry of agony after taking the hit.

"Onix, use Bind on him now! Don't let up, and make sure to grab him tight." The gym leader commanded, with a slight sense of alarm in his voice. He had unfortunately underestimated the strength of the small Dragon Type. That Iron Head attack had dealt much more damage than he could have imagined, and now he had to end the battle quickly.

The smaller Pokémon was seemingly helpless as he was squeezed by its behemoth of an opponent. The Gible let out its own cries of anguish while struggling, which greatly worried his trainer.

"Gible, I know that you're in a tough spot right now, but I need you now more than ever. Onix is already damaged, and all we need is another Dragon Rage attack!" The younger boy called out to his starter, only to receive a grunt in response. The Pokémon tried to bring forth its neon flames which were characteristic of its draconian attack, but was not able to form enough for a proper attack.

"Onix, squeeze tighter!" The older teen called out to his Pokémon in a supposedly calm voice. But within his mind, he was anything but calm. He knew that he was currently at the advantage, but even he knew that Onix would not last much longer. The creature had been dealt devastating damage from the Gible's Iron Head attack, and the Dragon Rage it had been hit with earlier certainly did it no favors. He could see that the Gible was still furiously trying to keep on fighting, and that worried him, because he knew even his Onix wouldn't be able to take yet another attack of that caliber.

Following its trainer's instructions, the serpentine Pokémon applied more force onto the small creature, who began to struggle even more. The Dragon Type was frantically panicking in the hold of its enemy, before the voice of its trainer reached it.

"Gible, you need to calm down and take a deep breath. I know that this is a tough challenge, and that you're afraid of losing here, but I know you have the power to win. You just need to concentrate, and focus on giving it your all, and no less. Because that's what it takes if we want to become the best Dragon Masters in the world. And I know you can do better. So, calm down, and show that Onix a Dragon Rage you'd be proud of!"

Gible saw the vigor that his trainer projected, and allowed himself to calm down, despite the great pressure being applied on him. The creature focused on pulling the draconic flames from within itself, as it prepared to fire at its opponent.

Brock immediately called out for his Pokémon to retreat, but it was for naught. The Rock Snake had barely begun releasing the small bipedal Pokémon, when it was hit with the bright flames of Gible's attack. The serpentine creature roared in pain, as it collapsed to the ground, unconscious and in no state to fight.

"Onix is unable to battle. Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town has won the Pewter City gym challenge." The announcement seemed to ring in the young boy's ears, as his face morphed into a wide grin. He broke into a run towards his starter, who was still in the field, thoroughly tired after the battle. "We did it, Gible! We won our very first gym badge."

The Pokémon itself leapt into the arms of his trainer, with a proud cry of glee. Gible could feel the immense joy and sense of achievement emanating from his trainer, as a similar feeling caused his chest to swell. He felt just as happy as Ash did, for this was just as much his victory as it was the boy's. And if there was anything to be said about Dragon Types, it was that they cared about strength more than pretty much anything else. And this victory, was a proof of his strength, and as such, his very instincts told him to celebrate his triumph alongside his trainer.

Ash was also happy beyond words. He would never admit it, but there had been a moment where he was unsure whether Gible could take any more. He had doubted himself and his Pokémon, only for them to prove him wrong. First, it had been Pidgeotto's win against Geodude, despite the glaring type disadvantage. After that, it had been the defeat of the gargantuan Onix at the hands of his starter. The young trainer held up his starter happily, as the gym leader walked toward them.

It was rare that a trainer would challenge him without making use of a type advantage. Usually, rookie trainers would show up with a Squirtle or Bulbasaur, or maybe even a Grass Type they had caught in Viridian Forest. But he never recalled one of his Pokémon being defeated by a Flying Type. And to follow that up with his Onix being beaten by a Gible was no less surprising. He could count the times he had battled against Dragon Types on one hand with fingers to spare, let alone fighting a Dragon Type that was the pre-evolved form of a pseudo-legendary from a different region.

Brock could see the great talent the boy had for Pokémon battling, and he was even more amazed to learn that this was his very first gym battle. Ash Ketchum had truly impressed him, and Brock could see that the kid had a lot of potential as a trainer.

"Well done Ash, that was an excellent battle. You have raised your Pokémon well, and you were also able to overcome the type disadvantage you had against Geodude." Brock complimented, as he walked up to the celebrating boy. "Therefore, it is my duty and my honor to present you with the Boulder Badge." With that, he drew a badge from his pocket and gave it to the younger trainer, who gingerly accepted it.

"Awesome! Look at it Gible, this is our very first step toward the Pokémon League. And I couldn't have even hoped for this without you and Pidgeotto." Ash exclaimed, showing his starter the small badge.

"Gib-gib! Gible!" The bipedal creature cried out, as he turned his direction to the physical proof of their win.

Brock chuckled at the boy and his Pokémon's actions, before drawing his attention again. "But I hope this win doesn't go to your head. I may not like to admit it, but compared to the rest of the gym leaders in Kanto, I fall a bit lower on the totem pole. If you want to continue a successful journey, you can't let a single triumph make you believe you are unbeatable. Other than that, I must say, the performance of you and your Pokémon was impressive."

The Dragon Master-in-training laughed nervously at the warning from the gym leader, as he scratched the back of his head. "You don't have to worry, Brock. I know that there are still a lot of people stronger than me, and that I need to grow much stronger to challenge the league."

Brock nodded with approval. "That's good to know. Now, I must tend to my Pokémon, and I am sure yours are also tired after the match. So, I wish you the best of luck for your travels, Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town." The older teen declared, before walking towards the back of the gym, and exiting through a door which led to another room.

Ash recognized the dismissal, and realized that he himself needed to heal both of his Pokémon. He was still feeling the high from the recent victory as he headed back to the PokéCentre, and decided to return Gible to his Pokéball, as the Dragon Type was already very tired. He soon arrived at the PokéCentre, and handed over both of his Pokémon to the Chansey present, before going back out into the city.

It was still close to noon, and he had a couple of things he wanted to do before leaving the city the next morning. He had checked the regional map present in the PokéCentre, and had learned that the closest gym after this was in Cerulean City. The only path there was through Mt. Moon, and that would be a long trek, so he had to be well prepared. He knew that the mountain path was not to be taken lightly, so he wanted to play it as safe as possible.

Luckily for him, defeating a gym leader had earned him quite a bit of money, so he would be able to afford some new equipment. Ash had actually been surprised by the amount of money he had won from the battle. He had always known that experienced or elite trainers earned a ludicrous amount of money in winnings simply due to the fact that they battled other trainers who were similarly skilled. He also knew that because his father would regularly send his mother generous stipends, even while being on his own journey.

Ash had a fair idea of how exactly winning money from battles worked. Whenever a battle would begin between two trainers, their PokéDexes would automatically detect the battle going on. The Trainer ID's, usually a PokéDex, would compare the experience and strength levels of the Pokémon battling, and would reward the winnings accordingly. The winnings would remain in the trainer's account, and they could pay for any purchase straight from their PokéID.

That way, if a less experienced trainer lost to a much stronger trainer, they would not lose all of their money. This process prevented elite trainers from taking advantage of rookies to win away all their money, while rewarding any trainer who is able to defeat a trainer who is stronger than them.

Ash soon arrived at a PokéMart, fully equipped with every trainer's travelling needs – or so the sign read. He grabbed a couple of fresh bags of Dragon and Flying Type Pokéchow, before deciding to also get a bag of the regular one. He got a flashlight, with some replaceable batteries, and some granola bars for himself. He already had a sleeping bag in his bag back at the PokéCentre, so that was one thing he could check off his list.

He was still browsing through some of the basic potions he might need when he noticed a large red board near the Pokéball section. He grabbed five super potions before walking to the board.

The board was advertising a new kind of Pokéballs, which were specifically made for catching Pokémon in specific conditions. And the best thing was, to promote the sale of these new Pokéballs, they were on a fifty percent discount. Ash eagerly went over the descriptions of each, before grabbing those he was interested. He took three Dusk Balls, which were supposed to increase the success rate of a catch attempted in a cave or at night, in case he saw a Pokémon he'd like to catch in Mt. Moon. He then chose three Lure Balls, as they would increase the success rate of a catch while fishing. He knew they would definitely come in useful, as he planned on using the fishing rod Misty had given him as soon as he came across a body of water.

Ash then made his way toward the counter with his trolley full of provisions. He waited as the cashier rung up his stuff, before paying with his PokéDex. By the end of it, he had spent almost three quarters of his money, but he honestly believed it was money well spent.

When he entered his room in the PokéCentre, he transferred all of the things he had just bought into his backpack. He wanted to leave as soon as he could in the morning, so that he could spend a little time training his Pokémon in Mt. Moon, while also exploring a little.

Ash walked down to the lobby, and realized that it had been quite some time since he had called home. He knew that if he postponed it any further, he would risk angering his mother. He dialed his home number, and waited for the call to be picked up. Soon it was, and showed his mother sitting in the living room, smiling happily as she greeted her son.

"Hi dear, it has been a while. I hope you're doing well on your journey. The thought of it just makes me so happy. My little man is already out on his Pokémon journey. I want to know everything you've been doing." His mom said.

"Well, I arrived in Pewter City a couple of days ago, and today I won the gym badge here. Tomorrow, I'm going to head for Mt. Moon, and straight to Cerulean City. And I also caught a new Pokémon when I was in Viridian Forest. It's a Pidgeotto." He explained, and received an even broader smile from his mother.

"That's great Ash. I am amazed at your progress. It hasn't been a full week and you already have your first badge. My little boy is definitely going to become a great Pokémon trainer just like his father."

Ash was pleased by that remark. Both he and his mother knew that his father was one of the main reasons Ash grew to love Pokémon. In fact, Ash vividly remembered how his dad would take time out of his journey to come home and celebrate his son's birthday, and he would play with his father's Pokémon.

"Not only am I going to be a great trainer, I'm also going to become the best Dragon Master I can, and sooner or later, I'll be an even better trainer than dad," Ash promised, as a fire blazed in his eyes.

"I don't doubt it." Delia replied with a small chuckle, before turning a little more serious. "Now, I know it must be exciting for you to be travelling away from home, but I need to remind you that you still need to take care of yourself. I understand that you want to give it your all so that you can grow stronger, but sometimes you also need to take a break and unwind. Don't overwork yourself."

The boy merely nodded in response. "Okay Mom, I promise, I'll take the occasional day off. But right now, I need to focus on getting through Mt. Moon." Delia was not completely convinced, but she chose not to further pursue the matter, instead opting to simply trust her son.

"Alright, if you say so. I need to go Ash, because dinner is on the stove and I don't want it to burn. Oh, and Ash honey? Professor Oak said he wanted you to give him a call. He said it was about something important."

"Okay Mom," Ash said. "I'll give the Professor a call just after this. I'll talk to you later Mom, bye."

"Bye honey! And don't forget to change your underwear regularly!" Ash frantically hung up the call, before glancing around the lobby to ensure that no one had heard his mother's last comment, his cheeks burning red in embarrassment.

The raven-haired trainer shook his head in exasperation, before dialing the next number, which was of the region's resident Professor.

"Oh, good to hear from you Ash. How have you been?" The old man asked, as he appeared to be in his lab, working on some machinery.

"I'm doing well Professor, just got my first gym badge actually. But my mom told me that you actually had something you wanted to talk to me about." He inquired of the old man, who seemed to cock his head, as if trying to remember what he had said.

Suddenly, as if an epiphany had struck him, he nodded in realization. "Ah, yes, the field task. As it were, I had been contacted by Professor Rowan just yesterday, and he had said he had a small task for you. He has recently begun studies into the newly discovered Fairy Types. He wants to study one of Kanto's regional Fairy Type Pokémon, Clefairy, to be precise.

Unfortunately, he is himself occupied in Sinnoh, as are most of his assistants. So, he would like to assign the task to you, as you are the only trainer he knows who is local to the Kanto Region. He asked me to contact you regarding this, so that I could pass on this task to you. He has told me he would be willing to provide you with a suitable reward for the completion of the task, as well as earning you a good bit of reputation with your fieldwork. And I believe it would be a rather appropriate way of thanking Gregory for the starter he gave you."

Ash considered those words agreeing with Professor Oak. It would be a good way of repaying the man for having given him his starter, and it was even better if he would be getting paid for it. Ash would be crossing through Mt. Moon anyways, and he knew that it was one of the only places in all of Kanto which had wild Clefairy in it. "I'd be fine doing the job for Professor Rowan, even without any reward. I mean, if it wasn't for him, I'd still be at home waiting for a starter Pokémon. Was that all though?" Ash inquired, after giving his response to the old man.

"Yes, that was the gist of it. I'll send over the Professor's number, so that you may call him as soon as you have caught a Clefairy.

And, I would like to wish you best of luck on your venture through Mt. Moon. I know from personal experience that it is one of the most beautiful sights our region has to offer. Other than just the sights, though, keep an eye out for anything that seems rare. One often finds odd things there, which you wouldn't expect to see. I even recall my own first time going through it, when I was a little boy just as old as you. It was actually where I found my very first, Zubat, and as my luck would have it, it was a shiny. A beautiful creature, and one of my dearest partners." The words of the man held a strong tone of emotion and nostalgia, as a smile spread across his face.

Ash too grinned in awe. He knew of the Professor's extremely successful career as a trainer, having been crowned the youngest Regional Champion ever at the age of nineteen, but he was left speechless by his incredible luck. Shiny Pokémon were so rare, that most people had never seen one in their entire lives. In fact, some even believed that they were just a myth, and dismissed their existence entirely.

"That's amazing professor! I never knew you had a shiny Pokémon." The young trainer exclaimed, causing the man to chuckle.

"Ash, there is still much to me you do not know. But enough of that, I need to go feed the Pokémon at the Corral. I wish you the best of luck, and hope you find something exotic in Mt. Moon." The man said, waving his hand as the screen went dead. Ash understood that the professor was always busy at his lab, and therefore knew why he couldn't spend too much time talking to rookie trainers. The man had to take care of hundreds of Pokémon, while also conducting his own research. After all, he wasn't acknowledged as the world's greatest authority on Pokémon for no reason.

As the boy stood up from in front of the screen, he thought about his next move. He would definitely be going through Mt. Moon, and he might have to stay in there for a couple of extra days, in order to catch a Clefairy for Professor Rowan. He briefly considered all the experience his Pokémon could gain by battling against the wild ones of the mountain, who were no doubt fierce due to their lives in the dangerous terrain.

The thought sent a slight shiver of excitement down his spine, as he contemplated how much stronger they would become. He was already immensely proud of their performance in their first gym battle, but he still knew that they would grow to become much stronger. And he knew, that as their trainer, it was his job to ensure this happened.

The raven-haired trainer heaved a sigh. There was not much use thinking over this at the moment. All his Pokémon needed right now was rest. He was more than happy to give them the day off, and he was sure they could head off for the mountain the next morning. And after the mountain, it would be straight to Cerulean City, for his second gym battle.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Ayo guys and gals! I bring you another chapter of this fic, and not after an extremely unreasonable waiting time at that! So, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. And it may not have been too evident, but Brock will not be playing too major a role here either. Sorry if that displeases anyone.**

 **Also, I know the whole Pokémon money system isn't ideal, but I really liked the idea of it. I read it in another fic, and I have forgotten which one it was. If any reader knows who originally came up with it, please do tell me so that I can at least mention them here.**

 **I know that the battle between Ash and Brock was sort of lackluster, to say the least, but I'm still trying to get a hang of these sort of things, so hopefully I will improve over time.**

 **I also introduced specialised Pokéballs, and they will reappear often.**

 **Okay, so this lagged on for way too long, so I have to put a stop to this. I really hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter. If you have any questions or want to mention anything, please PM or review. Well, that's a wrap for now.**

Peace Out

Kofukuna Shi No Kami


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